NYPD Commissioner Labels Concealed Carry Reciprocity 'Insanity'

The NYPD police commissioner said that he believed concealed carry reciprocity was a bad idea for New York.

​New York, NY - The top cop for the New York Police Department (NYPD) said it would be “insanity” for the federal government to force one state to recognize another state’s gun laws.

A bill that’s being considered on Capitol Hill would make a concealed carry gun permit much like a driver’s license, in that if it were issued by one state, all other states would have to accept it.

If passed, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would eliminate fears legal gun owners have about traveling across state lines, and unintentionally breaking the law.

But it would also force a state like New York, with tougher anti-gun laws, to extend reciprocity to concealed carry permit holders from a state with looser concealed carry laws, the New York Post reported.

Commissioner O’Neill said he believed that accidents, suicides, and crime would all increase if more out-of-state guns were allowed in New York.

“Right now, we have a good idea of who’s carrying guns. If this law passes, all bets are off,” he said. “Anybody can come into New York City from any state and carry a weapon.”

But U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R – North Carolina), who sponsored the bill in the House, told CBS News that his state has seen a drop in crime with an increase in gun ownership.

“I can tell you that ... in the last 20 years, you've seen - a huge uptick in gun ownership. You've seen a huge uptick in conceal carry permit holders, and at the same time, you see violent crime drop,” Hudson said. “If you look at the states that have Constitutional carry, you've seen violent crime drop.”

He also used the example of Shaneen Allen, a legal gun owner and mugging victim from Pennsylvania, who was arrested in New Jersey and spent 48 days in jail for traveling across state lines with her legally registered weapon, as another reason reciprocity was necessary.

Allen, the 27-year-old mother of two children, might have spent years in prison if not for a pardon she received from then-Governor Chris Christie, according to NJ.com.

Christie also pardoned some Florida and North Carolina residents who faced charges for carrying their guns in or through the state of New Jersey, even though they were legal carriers in their home states.

Tim Schmidt, of the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, said it’s a also Second Amendment issue.

“[The Constitution] says you have the right to keep and bear arms and it shall not be infringed,” Schmidt told CBS News. “Telling me where I can and can't carry a gun, telling me where I can and can't protect my family and loved ones, that's an infringement. Yes, that's gone on for a long time in our country, but we're finally fixing it.”

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. told the New York Post that he thought extending reciprocity for concealed carry “would be a disaster for New York City” and called it “extremely dangerous.”

He said he thought states should be allowed to determine their own policies on guns.

“I wouldn’t presume to tell the residents of West Virginia what their gun laws should be. They’ve figured out what they want there,” Vance said.

“But I don’t think they, or Congress, should be having West Virginia’s laws put on New York City,” he said.

Its a”Right” a Americans to be allowed to be armed.Nonsense that permits are restricted to target shooting or hunting.Right of the people shall not be infringed. 2nd is to defend against a tyrant government. Not to go hunting. And its bs that a police commisioner feels only cops should have guns. Ive worked with cops who should not have a gun.

In a State and a City where you can commit a violent crime and due to mandatory low bonds be back on the street committing more violent crime before dinner! He wants more restrictions on the people who will be the Victims of this crime, At the same time he ties the hands of his Police and restricts what they can do with REAL criminals.

I call bull sh*t concealed carry can't even carry through the whole state of NY. Northern concealed carry can't carry in the five boroughs its a separate permit. It costs more money and is harder to get a permit in NYC. Crooked Cuomo passed the SAFE act in the middle of the night because he knew it wouldn't pass if the voters had input to their elected officials, he said that himself and just another way to get more tax money. NY politicians don't care about crime or safety they care about money and notoriety.

One of the biggest problems I see in selective "may" permit concealed carry is the "discretion" of authorities leads to issuing permits to politicians, the rich, and buddies; the average citizen doesn't stand much of a chance getting a permit. Concealed Carry Reciprocity hopefully will force may issue jurisdictions to create equal permit laws, or eliminate concealed permit completely.

You used to not be able to have your front door windows tinted in Illinois but if you were from another State they could not ticket you because it was OK in your State. Same thing, If I've had a background check by the Indiana State Police and have been deemed trustworthy to carry a fire arm, other States should not be able to infringe on my rights.